Los Angeles @ San Jose preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 29, 2019 ) Los Angeles 1, San Jose 4

The San Jose Sharks have plummeted toward the bottom of the Pacific Division after tumbling to losses in nine of their last 10 games (1-8-1). The Sharks and Los Angeles Kings each look to end a three-game winless skid at the other's expense on Friday when they meet at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif.

"We're not finding ways to get out of losing streaks," Sharks captain Logan Couture said. "Good teams stop those skids after two or three. They don't extend them to five or six. Unfortunately, that's where we've found ourselves a lot this year." The 30-year-old Couture has found himself contributing in both games against Los Angeles, setting up defenseman Erik Karlsson's first-period goal in San Jose's 4-3 overtime win on Nov. 25 before scoring in a 4-1 victory over the Kings four days later. Los Angeles showed signs of turning it around with a 4-0-1 stretch midway into the month before skidding into the break with one-goal losses at Columbus and Buffalo as well as a 4-1 setback to St. Louis. "We're not playing to just improve and rebuild this season," Kings defenseman Drew Doughty said. "We're trying to make the playoffs."

TV: 10 p.m. ET, FS West (Los Angeles), Sportsnet 1, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Ontario, Sportsnet Pacific, NBCS California (San Jose)

ABOUT THE KINGS (15-20-4): Captain Anze Kopitar collected a goal and an assist in the first meeting with San Jose before being held off the scoresheet in the next encounter with the Sharks. That outing began an offensive slump in which Kopitar mustered just six points (four goals, two assists) over his last 14 games. Adrian Kempe also scored and set up a goal in the first meeting with San Jose and scored in three consecutive contests before being held in check against the Blues.

ABOUT THE SHARKS (16-20-2): Tomas Hertl carries a six-game point streak (four goals, three assists) into Friday's tilt after setting up Couture's 12th goal of the season in Sunday's 3-1 setback versus Vegas. Karlsson saw his three-game point streak halted in that contest, but the two-time Norris Trophy recipient has recorded multi-point performances in each outing against Los Angeles last month. Timo Meier tallied twice in the first encounter with the Kings while Patrick Marleau scored in overtime in the first meeting and again in the second before being held without a point in each of his last 11 games.

OVERTIME

1. Doughty has seven of his team co-leading 19 assists over his last 10 games.

2. San Jose D Brent Burns has one goal and three assists during his three-game point streak.

3. Kings G Jonathan Quick fell to 17-12-7 in his career versus the Sharks after yielding eight goals on 47 shots in two losses this season.

PREDICTION: Sharks 3, Kings 1